By Samuel Muwanguzi

In Summary: The mosquito repellent is made of natural oils, is non-toxic, does not kill, smells great, and offers new hope to efforts to combat malaria in Africa and other areas.While the efficacy of the repellant has been tested and proved against the mosquito-transmitted West Nile Virus in the USA, sights are now set on Africa as the next frontier where malaria caused by mosquito-transmitted parasites is killing more people than HIV/AIDS.  

Dallas, Texas—No organization could have offered a better forum than the East African Chamber of Commerce (EACC) of Dallas to introduce a newly developed eco-friendly mosquito repellent that offers hope to Africa in its efforts to combat the spread of Malaria by mosquitoes. The mosquito repellent, developed by Steve Moore, famously known as “Mosquito Steve”, a native of Dallas, Texas, is made of natural oils, is non-toxic, does not kill, smells great, and repels flies, is now widely used by individuals, landscapers, Cities, and Municipalities across the United States.

The presentation about the mosquito repellent was the major highlight at the first meeting of the EACC convened and presided over by the newly elected chairwoman Elsa Juuko McDowell at the Sheraton Galleria in Dallas, Tuesday. Welcoming the members, Elsa Juuko asked the members to take advantage of the diverse membership and skill sets in the chamber, network, grow their businesses, and to come up with ideas for the chamber leadership to include and discuss during the monthly meetings, to highlight during the annual conference scheduled to start on September 29, and to continue promoting trade and investments between the USA and the East African region.

The high point of the meeting was the presentation by Steve Moore, also known as “Mosquito Steve”, who claims that the efficacy of the repellent against the mosquito that transmits the West Nile Virus, which he contracted as part of his personal experiment and inspiration, has been tested and proved in the USA. “The invention  is a “safe and effective solution to the deadly mosquito that causes the West Nile outbreak that sickens and kills North Texans — an all-natural repellent dispensed through a mister,” Steve Moore, 55, a graduate of the Southern Methodist University (SMU) told members of the  EACC at the Sheraton last Tuesday

The Safety Net Mosquito Defense, a concentration of five essential oils for use in spraying or misting systems, contains no DEET, no pyrethroids, and no toxic ingredients whatsoever. Even without any chemicals, he says the repellant is 98 percent effective, for up to six hours, based on field study data. Of all the   essential oils in other natural products he experimented on, none alone ranked anywhere near as efficacious as DEET, he says. Moore claims that the combination of multiple essential natural oils and their relative amounts make his mosquito repellent 98 percent effective for up to six hours.

A portable mister filled with Moore’s concentrate and diluted with water per label instructions is recommended for use to repel mosquitoes from their breeding areas either indoors or outdoors for optimum results every six hours. He says it can be sprayed over fish ponds and will neither kill the fish nor contaminate the water but it will repel the mosquitoes.

A typical spray rig recommended for spraying mosquito breeding and infested areas.

Also, he says it has been tested on repelling flies: “We even did this experiment on caged lions and on tigers and flies were repelled. A tiger even drank some of the oil and loved it,” he says with a chuckle. 

A caged lioness (Cleo) getting a good whiff of Mosquito Steve to repel mosquitoes and flies and loving it.

The safety and proven record of this new eco-friendly formula, the culmination of nearly ten years of research and development, resulted in its  recognition and receiving EPA-exempt status.

Assisted by chemists in Plano and East Texas and field trials where he was the main course for ravenous mosquitoes, Steven Moore introduced the Safety Net Mosquito Defense in May 2007. As a personal sacrifice, he conducted the field trials necessary to sell this new product on his own body. In a radical move that would pass as crazy by all conventional wisdom, he subjected himself to mosquito landings to get a rate of efficacy. “From 3,500 landings, I would get 900 bites,” he says. As a result, he contracted the West Nile virus in 2007 “and was sick for two months with fatigue, headaches, and general body pains,” he reveals with a sense of accomplishment.

After over a decade of involvement in the business of repelling mosquitoes, Steve Moore says now is the time to share his invention to save millions of lives. His vision is to find people to work with to introduce, market, and distribute his eco-friendly product to help in the fight against malaria especially in Africa where people, mainly children, are still dying of the disease. “I want to see this repellent used in every homestead in Africa. I don’t think it is right for millions of people to continue dying of malaria in this day and age when we can do something to save their lives,” Moore told the EACC members.

 Now that he has initiated a relationship with the East African Chamber of Commerce of Dallas, his work is clearly cut out, Bill Morgan, the Vice Chair of the Chamber observed in a brief interview with EADM News on Tuesday.